2019 NBA Mock Draft: Could the Hawks jumpstart their rebuild in 2019?
. F. Duke. Cam Reddish. 4. player. 66
Though Reddish missed Monday night’s Duke-Syracuse game, it will be talked about for weeks to come as perhaps the most exciting young team in NCAA history continues its trek through conference play. The Orange pushed the game into overtime after falling down 11-0 early and ultimately handed Duke its second loss of the year.
With Reddish out, floor-spacing big man Jack White was forced into the starting lineup. The ripple effect was clear immediately. Not only did Duke’s depth suffer with a starter out of the lineup, but its defense couldn’t hold up either. The Blue Devils are back to playing traditional man defense again after last year’s experiment with the zone, meaning Reddish would have been there to guard Tyus Battle if he had been healthy. Instead, Battle exploded for 32 points, highlighting Reddish’s value to Duke’s defense.
After Syracuse answered Duke’s hot start with a 24-15 run of their own, Duke’s offense also struggled to keep the game close. They couldn’t find easy shots in the halfcourt whatsoever, clearly stymied by Syracuse’s zone. White, in Reddish’s place as a spot-up threat within the starting unit, finished the game 0-of-10 from behind the arc.
When adversity hits teams, problems are magnified, but occasionally what a team fails to do can also provide a glimpse into the value of who or what they’re missing. The attention will go R.J. Barrett’s 8-of-30 night or Zion Williamson’s inability to get his team over the hump but in my eyes, Duke’s loss to Syracuse also showed how important Reddish’s two-way play is and how impactful he could be playing a similar role in the NBA.